Steering-gear.



No. 896,844. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908.

' T. MAYHEW.

STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 190a,

WITNESSES.

INVENTORI UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

THEOPHILUS MAYHEW, OF'DE'TROIT, MICHIGAN.

- STEERING-GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented m 25, 1908. 1

Application filed January 2, 1908. Serial No. 408,979.

To all whom may concern.

Be it known that I, THEOPHILUS MAYHEw,

lost motion and preventing back lash in the parts,

The invention consists in thematters heremafter. set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.-

' --R ferring to the drawings, Flgure 1. 1s a view in longitudinal section of the casing and contained mechanism of a steering gear emu Fig. 2 IS I a view in section on-or about line a:a: of Fig.

bodying features of theinvention.

1. Fig. 3 is a view in section on-or about line y-y of Fig; 1. In the drawings, 1 indicates the lower portionof' a steering shaft rotatably mounted in an appropriate casing. 2 which may be se-v cured in any convenient position in the usual manner. A sleeve 3 having external screw threads 4 of any desired pitch and type is secured as by a set-screw 5, spline or other preferred means on thespindle within the casing or the shaft may be enlarged and the threads formednntegrally thereon, the annular faces '35 60f the sleeve or the shoulders formed by the enlargement acting as thrust bearings to prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft. A. nut divided transversely into two abutting sections 7 and 8 engages the sleeve and has -10 non-rotative sliding engagement with the casing. The lower section 8 of the'nut operates a steering knuckle 9 through any preferred connection as for example, stub rock shafts 10 and 11, links12 and pivots pins 13.

45, Flanges 14 and 15. on the abutting ends of the nut sections have sliding engagement with the squared or flattened interior ofthe casing to prevent rotation" of .the nut and their opposing faces are inwardly beveled to receive a pair of opposed wedges 16whose projecting ends are coupled by a pairvof springs 17 hooked into apertures 18 to be in tension between them. These Wedges automatically prevent any back-lash in the nut sections, as

they project them axially in opposite direc-' tions against'the screw-threads.

i The lower annular face 6 of the sleeve or I enlarged ortion of the shaft engages the casingdirect y as a thrust hearing. 'The upper annular face of the sleeve similarly acts as a thrust bearing in the opposite way against the upper end or ca of'the casing, a pair of squared non-rotata le washers 19 bein .interposed. These washers are inwardly eveled-like-the nut section flanges for a pair of opposed wedges 20 whose projecting ends are coupled byspri'ngs in tension between them,

.similar to the nut wedge springs.

In operation, the wedges automatically move in or out to take up slack between the I parts and occasion a smooth, constant yieldmgengagement between the parts which pre-.

vents rattling and jumping. I Furthermore,

as the slight turns to'which the'shaftis sub-' V jected in use far exceed the rotations through wide" arcs, thethread becomes worn more in someof its zones of action than in others. This difference in wear is likewise compen-' sated for by the .Wed es which-keep the nut sections bearing even y' on the threads in all sopositions, and likewise hold the shaft against endwise play in the casing.

Obviously, changes 1n details may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention and I do not care to limit myself to any particular form or arrangement of parts. e

What I claim as my invention is 2-.-

1. .Ina steering gear having a casing, a rotatable steering-Wheel shaft secured therein against longitudinal displacement, and a nut for operating a steering knuckle longitudi-, nally reciprocable on the shaft, means yieldingly movable transversely to the shaft adapted to automatically maintain constant endwise pressure on the nut and on the shaft. 2. In a steering gear'having a casing, a ro-.

tatable steering wheel shaft secured therein against longitudinal .dis lacement and a nut for o crating a steering uckle transversely divi ed-into a air of abutting sections having a screw-threa e'd engagement with the shaft, means yieldin ly movable transverselyto the shaft adapte .toautomatically maintain.

endwise pressure constantly between the shaft and casin'g'and endwise pressure outwardl upon eachnut section.

3. fii a steering ear having a casing, a rotatable'steering w eel shaft secured therein against longitudinal dis lacement and a nut for o crating a steeri nuckle transversely v divi ed into a pair 0 abutting sections'in screw-threaded engagement with I the shaft having nonrotative sliding engagement in the casing, means within the casing movable transversely to, theshaft adapted to auto- 'm atically maintain a yielding constant endw1se pressure betweenthe shaftgan-d {casingspring pressed wedges yieldingly movable transversely to: the shaft adaptedto maintain a'constant endwisepressure between the;

shaft and its thrust bearlngs and between the mtoa .nut and the'shaft.

5. In a steering ear, a easing, 1 asteering wheel shaft rotatable therein, a nut for operating a steering knuckletransversely divided threaded engagement with the-shaft, and' springpressed wedges interposed between tie nut sections exerting constantendwise pressure thereon. i

' '6. In a steering operating a steering knuckle transversely div1ded into two abutting sections having screw-threaded engagement with the shaft the casing, wedges between the adjacent faces of the nut 1 sections adapted to. exert en'dwise pressure outwardly on each section when movedtransversely to the'sliaf-t and springs adapted'to 1 operate the wedges. v

and non-rotative slid ing engagement with ya pan of OP POSIt elY diSPOSGd 7. In a steering gear having a casing, a rotatable steering wheel shaft therein, a nut for operating a steering knuckle ,vlded into two abutting transversely disections" having screw-threaded engagement with the shaft and non-rOtative sliding engagement with the casing, a pair of oppositely disposed wedges. between the. adjacent faces of the nut sections, adapted to exert endwise pressure outwardly on each sectionwhen moved toward the shaft and springsin tension between the wedges. i J

8; In-asteering gear, a casing, asteering wheelshaft rotatabletherein, a nut transv versely divided into a pair of abutting sectlons I having scr'ivthreaded engagement q pair of abutting sections having screwgear having a. casing, a ro tatable steering wheel shaft there1n,a nut for with the shaft, inwardly beveled flanges on the adjacent ends of the sections having nonrotative sliding engagement with thecasing,

0f .the shaft, and springs in tension connecting the wedges. v

9; Ina steering gear, a casing, thrust bearings at each end 0'1: vthe-casing, a steering wheel shaft rotatable, therein having shoul-- ders; adapted to engage the thrust bearings,

.a pair of washers interposed between one of the shoulders and the adjacent thrust bearing, spring pressed wedges" between the washers yieldingly se 'arating'them, a nut for operating a steering nuckle transversely di v ded into a pair of abutting sections having and spring pressed wedges vinterposed be- }wise pressure thereon. v 4

10. vIn a steering gear, a rectangular caslng provided with end thrust bearings, a steermg tweenthenut sections exerting constant endv 7 5 .wheel shaftaxially journaled therein provided with shoulders adapted to. engage the thrust bearings and exterior-1y screw-thread; ed within the casing, a pair of squared'im' wardly beveled washers on the shaft-be-j a pair of inwardly actingwedges between the eveled faces of the flanges on opposite sides screw-threaded engagement with the shaft,

tween a shoulder and adjacent thrust bearing I having non-rotative axiall movable enga ement with the casing,,.wed ges interposed be- .tween the beveled mar ins of. the ,washers held from longitudinal displacement by the casing and adapted to force the washers apart when moved toward each necting the corresponding ends, of the wedges.

other, springs con- 1 adapted to yieldingly drawthem together, a nut transversely divided into a pair of abut- .ting sections having-serewthreaded enga e-" m'ent with the casing, a pair of oppositely isposed'wedges interposed'between the adjacent beveled faces of the sections adapted to force them apart when-'m'oved toward eaqhfi. other and prevented from longitudinal dis placement by the casing, and-springs in tension between the corresponding ends of the wedges adapted to draw tliem-togctlwr. I v Intestimony whereof I affix my signature 4 in presence of t'wo witne'sses I r v f 'rn oPnILus MAYHEW;

'' "WVitnesses: i I v C. R. S'IICKNEY,

OTTO F. 1 B A'i'rr u I) L. 

